gauge
Plural: gauges
Noun
- a measuring instrument for measuring and indicating a quantity such as the thickness of wire or the amount of rain etc.
- accepted or approved instance or example of a quantity or quality against which others are judged or measured or compared
- the distance between the rails of a railway or between the wheels of a train
- the thickness of wire
- diameter of a tube or gun barrel
- A measure; a standard of measure; an instrument to determine dimensions, distance, or capacity; a standard
- An act of measuring.
- An estimate.
- Any instrument for ascertaining or regulating the level, state, dimensions or forms of things
- A thickness of sheet metal or wire designated by any of several numbering schemes, with lower numbers indicating larger size.
- Ellipsis of track gauge.
- Ellipsis of loading gauge.
- A semi-norm; a function that assigns a non-negative size to all vectors in a vector space.
- The number of stitches per inch, centimetre, or other unit of distance.
- Relative positions of two or more vessels with reference to the wind.
- The depth to which a vessel sinks in the water.
- The quantity of plaster of Paris used with common plaster to make it set more quickly.
- That part of a shingle, slate, or tile, which is exposed to the weather, when laid; also, one course of such shingles, slates, or tiles.
- A unit of measurement which describes how many spheres of bore diameter of a shotgun can be had from one pound of lead; 12 gauge is roughly equivalent to .75 caliber.
- A shotgun (synecdoche for 12 gauge shotgun, the most common chambering for combat and hunting shotguns).
- A tunnel-like ear piercing consisting of a hollow ring embedded in the lobe.
- Cannabis.
Verb
Verb Forms: gauged, gauging, gauges
- To measure precisely the dimensions, capacity, or content of something.
- judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
- rub to a uniform size
- "gauge bricks"
- determine the capacity, volume, or contents of by measurement and calculation
- "gauge the wine barrels"
- measure precisely and against a standard
- "the wire is gauged"
- adapt to a specified measurement
- "gauge the instruments"
- mix in specific proportions
- "gauge plaster"
- To measure or determine with a gauge; to measure the capacity of.
- To estimate.
- To appraise the character or ability of; to judge of.
- To draw into equidistant gathers by running a thread through it.
- To mix (a quantity of ordinary plaster) with a quantity of plaster of Paris.
- To chip, hew or polish (stones, bricks, etc) to a standard size and/or shape.
Examples
- A vessel has the weather gauge of another when on the windward side of it, and the lee gauge when on the lee side of it.
- Astute players GAUGE their opponent’s rack by observing their plays and remaining tiles.
Origin / Etymology
From Middle English gauge, gaugen, from Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French gauger (compare Modern French jauger from Old French jaugier), from gauge (“gauging rod”), from Frankish *galga (“measuring rod, pole”), from Proto-Germanic *galgô (“pole, stake, cross”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰalgʰ-, *ǵʰalg- (“perch, long switch”). Cognate with Old High German galgo, Old Frisian galga, Old English ġealga (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse galgi (“cross-beam, gallows”), Old Norse gelgja (“pole, perch”). Doublet of gallows.
Synonyms
approximate, bore, caliber, calibre, estimate, gage, guess, judge, standard of measurement, ear gauge
Scrabble Score: 7
gauge: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Wordgauge: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
gauge: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary